Breaking: No more AFC vs NFC Pro Bowl

[jmt57]

Leon Washington comments on the Pro Bowl changes:

Off PUP, Julian Edelman on track | Boston Herald | Jeff Howe

“It’s something I’ve taken pride in throughout my career,” said Washington, who was signed by the Pats this offseason to resuscitate a floundering kick return unit. “I believe it’s an integral part of the game. The teams that I’ve been on, we’d return the ball extremely well, and it gave us an advantage throughout the season. I understand the part of protecting guys from injuries. But guys like us, we made our careers on kickoff returns. It’s disheartening. If that’s the rule, I’m not happy.”

Washington believed there was a better way to handle it. If they want to eliminate kickoffs, fine. But don’t take recognition away from the player.

“How about we name a Pro Bowler and don’t do the kickoffs?” Washington said. “To not name a guy, I think that’s wrong. You can name a guy and say, ‘OK, he can come out here, but you’re not going to return kicks in the game.’ I’d understand that. But to not name a guy at all, I don’t think that’s right.”
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[chasa]

It's all crap. I hate it. Goodell wants this to be the NBA and ADHD video-game mentality plays right into it. This is the ultimate TEAM sport; fantasy football is just absurd.

I'm going to disagree here. Anything that gives people who might not normally watch football a reason to watch is a good thing. I know a couple of dozen people who now watch the games because they have a vested interest in some of the players. It breeds awareness, and is a very entry level opening for people to become fans and get a basic understand of whats good, whats bad, and who all these people are and what they do.

 

[jmt57]

Here is another proposal; call it the Toilet Bowl:

My Longstanding (and Superior) Pro Bowl Replacement Idea « NFL Dave Dameshek Blog

Forget the hokey hockey idea – if the NFL is serious about giving fans something engaging to bridge the gap between those miserably long two weeks between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl, how ’bout this instead — have the league’s two worst teams go head-to-head, with the winner getting the first pick in the next draft. Aloha, Hawaii: this game’s gonna be played on some burnt-out junior-high field – preferably somewhere it’s raining and/or snowing – with unattractive cheerleaders providing the encouragement. With any luck, Eve 6 will agree to be the halftime entertainment. (To be fair, they’d be at least as good as half the bands who’ve already done it.)

Sure, there’d be more turnovers than points scored, but so what? It’d be a real game, with something actually important on the line. Don’t you think the players on both sides would be fired up to try to improve their team, not to mention dodging being tagged as the league’s ultimate punch line? Or would they? An incumbent QB might not want to win a game that’d give his team a shot at his possible replacement. But again… so what? It’d just make the coaches’ decisions all the more fascinating.

As a fringe benefit, after watching the likes of the Jags and Jets go at it, you’d have an even greater appreciation for how good the two Super Bowl participants are. You could call it the Loser Bowl. Maybe a weight-loss product could be brought in as a sponsor. I can already hear Brad Nessler saying, “Welcome to the 2014 WeightWatchers Loser Bowl!…’​

 

[pats4life12]

It is a change that needed to happen. It was the same thing every year. This should at least make the game a little more interesting, watching AFC and NFC players on the same team.

 

[detpatsfan]

Smart move by Goodell I think he's doing a great job as the commissioner.